PNP considers tracking down Harry Roque via his digital trail

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has indicated that it might use former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s digital activity to pinpoint his location for arrest.

Police Colonel Jean Fajardo, the PNP spokesperson, said on Wednesday, September 18 that the police force's Anti-Cybercrime Group is exploring methods to locate Roque, including using his IP address.

An IP address is a unique digital identifier for devices that can help estimate their location and monitor the online activity of their users.

Fajardo admitted, however, that the PNP cannot implement the plan to trace him through his web activities immediately.

“We have to understand in tracing the location we have to course our request to the concerned agencies,” Fajardo said.

Fajardo said the PNP is certain that Roque remains in the Philippines.

“We are monitoring the possible entry points he might use,” Fajardo said in Filipino.

This follows Roque’s online statement addressing the arrest order issued against him by the House of Representatives for refusing to appear and submit documents to public hearings into online gaming scam operations, called POGOs.

Roque has been linked to Lucky South 99, an illegal POGO in Porac, Pampanga, in allegations which he has denied.

The PNP has joined the manhunt for Roque following the issuance of the arrest warrant, but he was not found at the addresses listed as his residences.

In response, Roque said he would only surrender if he faces cases in court, calling the exercise of public inquiries in Congress a venue for "power-tripping."

“My freedom is important to me. I will not relinquish my freedom again as I did before, when I surrendered it for one day while I was imprisoned,” Roque said in his statement in Filipino. — with reports from Dominique Nicole Flores